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Europe is back in favor with the world’s biggest private equity firm.
Blackstone is planning to go big in Europe, CEO and co-founder Stephen Schwarzman told the Financial Times on Tuesday.
Schwarzman said that Blackstone is planning to invest at least $500 billion in Europe over the next 10 years, citing “signs of change” in the continent, where the firm’s current investments stand at around $350 billion.
“European leaders are generally becoming more sensitive to the fact that their growth rates over the past decade have been quite low and it’s not sustainable for them,” he told the FT.
“So they are looking at putting pressure on the European Union regarding deregulation. We think Europe has the prospect of doing better than they had in the past,” he said.
The finance titan said Blackstone is increasingly bullish on Europe, not just because of lower company valuations compared to US peers or lower financing costs, but also due to growing confidence in the region’s economic reforms.
“We see it as a major opportunity for us,” Schwarzman told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday.
Blackstone’s positivity on Europe comes as winds of change are blowing in the continent’s favor. European governments are planning to boost spending, particularly in defense.
Germany, the largest economy in Europe, has also announced spending plans on infrastructure after years of conservative fiscal management.
The prospect of growth has sent the Stoxx Europe 600 index up 9% this year to date. Germany’s DAX index is up 20% over the same period.
The upbeat view toward Europe contrasts with pessimism at the World Economic Forum early this year. At the Davos, Switzerland event, delegates bemoaned the continent’s risk aversion, crippling regulations, and isolated markets.
“I don’t see Europe moving forward enough; I see Europe still focusing on backward looking too much,” said BlackRock’s CEO, Larry Fink, at the conference.
In contrast, WEF participants hailed the US economy in anticipation of President Donald Trump’s second term, which they had expected to usher in a pro-business climate.
However, Trump’s trade war has injected uncertainties into the US’s economic outlook and markets. The US stock market cratered in the days following “Liberation Day,” but has since recovered all of those losses.
The changing market dynamics also came amid a sell-off in US assets, including the dollar. Some analysts have termed this the “Sell America” trade.
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